The goal is not to stay alive, but to stay human. -George Orwell, 1984 These stories draw us into the intimacy of what makes us human. Some are marked by war, social instability, totalitarianism, while others are peaceful and reassuring, but each emphasizes that great social movements call out for improvements to the common good, for true democracy without violence and with justice, for all citizens, including those yet to be born. Aude felt the protection of our Earth was urgent and vital, and certainly as is true today, before any future can be radiant, there is an enormous amount of work to do. Fragments of Place asks all of us to be aware of the new pages of global history as they are written, as we explore our ongoing human dilemmas.